Dovetailing-machine



No. 770,603. PATENTED SEPT. 20, 1904.

G. MQMURTRIE. E DOVETAILING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 7, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 3 SHBETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED SEPT. 20, '1904.

G. MOMURTRIB.

DOVETAILING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 7, 190.3.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

c K h e 10 4 0 d &

No. 770,603. PATENTBD SEPT. 20, 1904. G. MQMURTRIE.

DOVETAILING MACHINE.

, I APPLICATION FILED AUG.7,1903. NO MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

w zevwx %WQ Z Q %wv Patented September 20, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

GILBERT MoMURTRIE, OF CLINTON, IOWA.

DOVETAlLING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 770,603, dated September 20, 1904.

Application filed August 7, 1903. Serial No. 168,680. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GILBERT MOMURTRIE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Clinton, in the county of Clinton and State of Iowa, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Dovetailing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to dovetailing-machines, and has for its object, first, to provide an improved machine of thecharacter referred to which will be entirely automatic in operation and capable of turning out work at a high rate of speed and which will automatically space the feed device so as to accurately present the stock to the cutters, thereby preventing the latter from coming in contact with the metallic portions of the machine.

It also has for a further object to provide an improved means of holding the work or material while being operated upon in a fixed position.

It also has in view other objects, which will be made manifest in the description hereinafter following.

' To these ends my invention consists in the features and in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims following the description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein* V Figure 1 is a view in sectional elevation of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is an end view thereof. Fig. 3 is-a top plan view. Fig. 4is a detail perspective view of the means for clamping the material into place. Fig. 5 is a detail view illustrating the manner of securing the bearings of the cutter-spindles in place. Fig. 6 is a detail view illustrating the cams and brackets inthe position they assume as they are retracting the carriage. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of one of the pawls and cranks separated, illustrating the manner of loosely connecting the same; and Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic View illustrating the order in which the mortises are cut in the stock.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the frame of the machine, which may be of any suitable construction, and to the end of said frame are fixed two plates 2 and 3, ar-

ranged one above the other. To the said plates are bolted bearings 5 and 6, the plates having slots 7 cut in them, into which project lugs or projections 8, formed on the rear sides of the boxes or bearings, whereby the bearings are held properly spaced apart. In the bearings are journaled vertical spindles 4; three such spindles being shown in the present instance. Mounted on the upper ends of said spindles are dovetailed cutters 9, of ordinary and well-known construction. The

lower ends of the spindles are supported on steps 10, which are capable of being vertically adjusted by screws 11, and on each of the said spindles is fixed a pulley 12.

Mounted on top of the frame of the machine is a compound feed device consisting of a plate 13, which is longitudinally movable on said frame, and a plate 14:, which is transversely movable to the plate 13. The forward end of this plate is provided with a se-' ries of alternate tongues and grooves 15 and 16, and the rear end of said plate is provided with two series of rack-teeth 17 and 18. The

lowermost plate 13 of the feed-carriage is" adapted to travel longitudinally on ways 19,-

which in turn carry transverse ways 20, on which the uppermost plate 14: is adapted to move from side to side. The plate 14 has fixed to the opposite end portions thereof two upright flanges 21, between the forward edges of which is arranged a cross-bar 22, which, as is clearly shown in the drawings, termi nates at its lower edge at a point above the plate 14. Fixed on the outer side of each of the flanges 21 are brackets 23, in which are movably arranged rods 2 1, which are adjustably connected at their rear ends 25 to bellcrank levers 26. Said bell-crank levers at their other ends are connected to a presser-bar 27. Journaled on the forward ends of the rods 24 is an eccentric roller 28, which is provided at one end with a handle 29, the arrangement being such "that a board placed between the front end 30 of the work-holder in a vertical position and another board placed edgewise to the first-named board under the presserbar 27 will lie at right angles to each other, and by moving the lever 29 in the proper direction the eccentric roller 28 will press the vertically-disposed board against the feedcarriage and at the same time, through the medium of the rods and presser-bar 27, will clamp the horizontally arranged board in place, whereby by one movement of the lever 29 both boards will simultaneously be clamped in position to be operated upon. Fixed upon the plate 14 is a bracket-arm 31, on the end of which is fixed a finger 32, the forward end of which is beveled, as at 33, and fixed on the frame of the machine is a plate 34, provided on its upper side with parallel ribs 35, which are beveled at one end, as indicated at 36. Fixed upon the upper part of the frame of the machine are pins 37, on which are mounted pawls 38 and 39, and mounted on said pins are cranks 40. It is by means of the connection between the cranks and the pawls that the movement of the latter is controlled in the manner hereinafter described. In other words, each pawl is provided with shoulders 41, and each crank is provided with shoulders 42, the relative arrangement of said shoulders being such that there will be a free movement of either one or the other of the parts without effecting the movement of the other-that is to say, until the shoulders of the pawl contact with the shoulders of the cranks the pawls are enabled to move independently of the cranks; but the moment the shoulders of the pawls contact with the shoulders of the cranks then said pawls and cranks must turn together.

The pawls 38 and 39 are arranged to engage the racks 17 and 18, and a coil-spring 43 is attached at its opposite ends to said pawls, so as to throw them into engagement with their corresponding racks. Attached to the cranks is a connecting-bar 44, one end of which positely-locked position.

is pivotally connected, as at 45, to a pivoted lever 46. The connecting-bar 44 is provided near its free end and on its opposite sides with notches 47 and 48, and to said bar is pivotally connected, as at 45, the lever 46, which is provided at its free end with a pin or handle 49. When the lever 46 is turned in one direction, the handle or pin 49 will enter the notch 48, formed in the bar 44, and will hold the parts locked in such position. Conversely, when said lever 46 is turned in ,the opposite direction a pin 50, fixed to said lever, will enter the slot 47, and thus hold the parts in their opthe lowermost plate of the compound oarriage are two pendent brackets 51 and 52, disposed out of longitudinal alinement with each other, and arranged in bearings 53, fixed to said frame, is a shaft 54, on which are fixed side byside two cams 55 and 56, the cams being arranged to respectively engage the brackets 51 and 52, as shown in the drawings. A shaft 57 is also mounted in suitable bearings of the frame and has mounted thereon a gearwheel 58 and a sprocket-wheel 59, and on the shaft 53 is fixed a sprocketwheel 60, the

Depending from sprocket-wheels 59 and 60 being connected around the pulleys 62 and also around the pulleys of the spindles 4, and thus rotate the cutters.

The operation is as follows: It being assumed that motion has been communicated to the driving-pulley 62 and that a piece of material has been clamped between the eccentric roller 28 and the adjacent portions 22 of the frame of the work-holder and'that another piece of material has been placed horizontally under the platen 27, then by turning the han- ,dle 29 in the proper direction the two pieces of material will be clamped together edge to edge. As the material is fed forward by the feed-carriage to the cutters the latter will operate to out mortises a b 0 in the adjacent edges of the two pieces of material. (See Fig. 8.) The feed-holder is then caused to recede by the means presently to be described, and the 1 next time the cutters will operate to cut mortises d e f adjacent to the mortises a b 0. The third time the feed-carriage moves forward the cutters will operate to form mortises g it 2' adjacent to the mortises d e f, and on another movement of the carriage mortises j is Z will be formed adjacent to the mortises g h 2'. On the shaft 54 is arranged a clutch 67 controlled by the lever 68, whereby the rotative motion of said shaft may be controlled. As the feed-carriage moves forward to feed the material to the cutters the movement of the cam 56, which feeds the carriage forward, will engage the bracket 52 and will first give a rapid movement to the carriage, and then as the material is brought into contact with said cutters it will impart a comparatively slow movement to the carriage, so as to permit the cutters to operate on the material without danger of splitting or breaking the stock. When the tenons and mortises have been completely out, the cam 55 will then engage the bracket 51 and move the feed -carriage back with a rapid movement. It will thus be seen that the work is fed up to the'cutters, first, with a rapid movement; secondly, with a slow movement while the cutters are operating upon the work,

and, thirdly, with a rapid movement to the rear in order to place the feed device in its original position to resume the cutting operation. It will be noted that'each time the feedtable moves rearwardly one of the pawls-as 39, for example will engage a correspond ing rack-tooth, such as 18, and as the rearward movement of the feed-table will cause the said pawl toswing outwardly about its A pivot the table will be moved laterally, or to one side. In the forward movement ofthe feed-table the tooth 32 will pass between two of the ribs 35, and the work will thus be accurately guided to the cutters and will be held firmly in place while the cutting operation is taking place. On the next rearward movement of the feed-table the pawl will engage another tooth of the rack 18, and the feedtable will be moved laterally another step, so as to cause the finger 32 to pass. between the space between the next ribs 35. This operation will continue until all the teeth of the rack 18 have been engaged by the pawl 39, whereupon the attendant will shift thelever 4:6, thus throwing the pawl 39 out of opera tion and throwing the pawl 38 into position to engage the teeth of the rack 19, and thereafter it will be manifest that the lateral movement of the feed-table will be reversed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a dovetailing-machine the combination of a longitudinally and laterally sliding work-holder, rotary cutters arranged in the path of movement of said work-holder, means for feeding the work-holder to the cutters, means for automatically moving the workholder laterally at each rearward movementof said work-holder, a bracket-arm fixed to one side of the work-holder and provided with a beveled finger and a series of parallel beveled ribs fixed to the frame of the machine between which said finger is arranged to travel and guide said worleholder and hold it against lateral movement, substantially as described.

2. In a dovetailing-machine the combination of a longitudinally and laterally sliding work-holder, rotary cutters arranged in the path of movement of said work-holder, means for feeding the work-holder to the cutters, mechanism for automatically moving the work-holder laterally at each rearward movement of said work-holder, and a shifting device for reversing the said mechanism to change the direction of the lateral movement of said work-holder at the will of the operator, substantially as described.

3. In a dovetailing-machine, the combination of a longitudinally and laterally sliding work-holder, rotary cutters arranged in the path of movement of said work-holder, means for feeding the work-holder to the cutters, reversely-formed racks on the rear end of the work-holder, two pawls respectively arranged to engage one at a time one of said racks and shift the work-holder to one side when the latter is moved rearwardly, and shifting mechanism for simultaneously throwing one of said pawls into engagement with its corresponding rack and the other pawl out of engagement with its corresponding rack, substantially as described.

4:. In a dovetailing-machine, the combination of a longitudinally and laterally sliding work-holder comprising two plates superimposed one upon the other, the lowermost plate being arranged to slide upon longitudinal guides and the uppermost plate being ar-' ranged to'slide laterally upon guides carried by the lower plate, oppositely-arranged racks formed on the rear ends ofsaid upper plate, pivoted spring-pawls arranged to engage, one at a time, said racks when the work-holder is moved rearwardly and shift the latter to one side, one of said pawls being arranged to move the work-holder in one direction and the other pawl to move it in the opposite direction, and means for simultaneously drawing one pawl into operative engagement with its corresponding rack and the other out of engagement with its rack, substantially as described.

5. In a dovetailing-machine, the combination of a longitudinally and laterally sliding work-holder, rotary cutters arranged in the path of movement of said work-holder, means for feeding the work-holder to the cutters, two reversely-formed racks on the rear end of the work-holder, two pawls, one for each rack, pivoted to theframe of the machine in rear of the work-holder, springs arranged to throw said pawls into engagement with said racks, and means for simultaneously throwing one pawl into position to be engaged by the corresponding rack and for throwing the other pawl out of action, whereby, when the work-holder is moved rearwardly and one of said racks engages the corresponding pawl, the latter as it is turned about its pivot by the rearward movement of the work-holder moves the latter laterally to one side, substantially as described.

6. In a dovetailing-machine the combination of a series of rotary cutters,a work-holder, means for feeding said work-holder to and from said cutters, said work-holder having two vertically-arranged flanges, an eccentrically-mounted' shaft arranged to clamp one piece of material between said shaft and the forward portion of the holder, a platen for pressing another piece of material to the bed of the holder, and means for simultaneously clamping the two pieces of material in place, substantially asdescribed.

7. In a dovetailing-machine the combination of a series of rotary cutters,a work-holder, means for moving the work-holder to and from said cutters, said work-holder having two parallel vertical flanges and a partition arranged between their forward edges, an eccentrically-mounted shaft arranged in front of said partition, a vertically-movable platen arranged beneath said partition, and means for simultaneously turning said shaft and lowering said platen, substantially as described.

8. In a dovetailing-machine the combination of a series of rotary cutters, of a workholder, means for feeding the work-holder to and from the cutters, said work-holder comprising two vertical parallel flanges having bearings upon their outer sides, rods longitu- IO material may be simultaneously clamped to the bed of the Work-holder by the platen, substantially as described.

In testimony Whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

GILBERT MOMURTRIE.

Witnesses:

D. E. TAFT, C. C. (JOAN. 

